Darkly colored cleansing article with distributed polymeric network

ABSTRACT

A darkly colored article especially suitable for cleansing skin having the general form of a fibrous bar is described. The article includes a solid or semi-solid lathering composition that at least partially incorporates a continuous fabricated polymeric network. By including a network that has a CIE Lightness Value of less than about 50, especially an achromatic network, darkly colored cleansing articles can be provided that have minimum staining potential and exhibit good color stability during storage and use.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to darkly colored personal cleansing articleshaving the form of a fibrous bar wherein a solid or semi-solid latheringcomposition at least partially incorporates a continuous fabricatedpolymeric network. The cleansing articles have a dark color withoutstaining, and exhibit good color stability during storage and use.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Consumers have been increasingly receptive to new personal washingsystems that provide a greater sense of refreshment, lead to a morepleasurable bathing and showering experience, and/or are personalized.Although toilet bars are still widely used because of their convenientform and simplicity, liquid products and more recently sheets have grownin popularity.

Consumers recognize that liquids provide excellent skin care andfragrance attributes. Further the variety of packaging, unique colors,and other visual features, especially available in the specialty trade,provide more individualistic and upscale products. However, liquids donot lather well without the use of an additional implement and withoutsuch an implement, liquids are not perceived as economical or asconvenient as bars. Sheets in contrast, lather well but are generallysingle-usage forms and thus are primarily used in facial washing wherethe perceived benefits more readily justifies their higher cost.

Liquid and sheet personal washing forms have primarily been targeted tofemale consumers, and these forms are not so widely used by men whooften prefer bars for their convenience and refreshment qualities.

Despite the growth of cosmetic products targeted to male consumers, maleoriented soap bars have changed little since the introduction of socalled refreshment or deodorant bars over 30 years ago many of whichhave a striated or variegated appearance.

Thus, there is a need for cleansing articles that have the convenienceand economy of a bar but with highly differentiated sensory propertiesthat are appealing to men. One of these differentiating properties is adark color. Although darkly colored or black soap bars have appearedfrom time to time they have not enjoyed much success because of thelimitations of conventional soap bar technology. In particular, darklycolored soap bars tend to discolor (turn pale or gray) in storage oruse. Furthermore, the level of colorant required for high colorsaturation has the potential for staining and often leads to unsightlyresidue collecting in soap dishes or on other surfaces.

The following patents and publications form a part of the related art:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,446 describes plastic mesh pads and spongesimpregnated with a soft paste-like cleansing composition including analkali metal phosphate, a wetting agent, fatty acid soap, a chelatingagent and surfactant. The articles are designed to be used as large sizescouring pieces for cleaning tires, vinyl tops and trims, bumpers andother surfaces.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,137 describes a gel-impregnated sponge composed oftwo layers: one layer is impregnated with a hardened gel material andone layer is a non-impregnated sponge.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,506 describes a bar soap having a sponge core whichis revealed after the soap bar is reduced to a sliver, said sponge coreproviding support and preventing breakage of the sliver thus reducingwastage.

U.S. Pat Application Publication No. 2003/0220212 A1 describes bar soapreinforced with a reinforcement member such as a mesh to prolong theusage of the bar.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,190, 079 describes a scrubbing soap bar composed ofvegetable oil and glycerin into which is partially imbedded a thinfine-mesh netting that serves as a feature to facilitate grasping andholding the bar.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,225 relates to a bathing and cleansing article inthe form a scrub brush specifically made to contain or hold a bar ofsoap.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,550 describes a seamless fibrous, soap-filled pad inthe form of an envelope that surrounds a solid soap, which is held inintegral form by the entanglement of the fibers.

U.S. Pat Application Publication No. 2004/0033915 Al relates tocleansing bars including a cleansing composition and a plurality ofdiscrete elements (e.g., fibers) having a length to diameter ratio offrom about 50 to 1 to about 100,000 to 1.

EP 1 266 599 A1 describes a solid cleanser holder composed of anapertured textured film surrounding a solid cleanser. The film reducesslip, exfoliates and enhances lather.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0113270 A1 to Stockman etal published May 26, 2005 relates to scrubbing soap bar having anembedded scrubbing element.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,6896,435 to James W. Rink issued May 24, 2005, describesa slip-resistant floating soap having two outer convex shaped layers ofsoap connected by a water impermeable buoyant material extending aroundthe outer soap layers to provide slip resistance.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,182 to Chung Min Liao issued May 17, 2005 describesa soap device having an embedded spongy or perforated cleansing device.

The present invention seeks improvements over deficiencies in the knownart. Among the one or more problems addressed include the development ofa darkly colored personal cleansing article having the overall form of abar that appeals especially to male consumers and has a lower potentialfor staining, messy residue, and discoloration during storage and use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have developed darkly colored cleansing articles havingthe general form of a bar that can be manufactured in a variety ofshapes. By including a certain types of darkly colored or darkachromatic polymer networks in a lathering composition, good colorstability and lower potential for residue or staining has been achieved.

In particular, the personal cleansing article is a darkly coloredfibrous bar that includes:

-   -   i) a continuous fabricated polymer network; and    -   ii) a solid or semi-solid lathering composition at least        partially encompassing the continuous fabricated polymer        network;

wherein the continuous fabricated polymer network has a substantiallyblack color defined by having a CIE Lightness Value, L*, of less thanabout 50, preferably less than about 30, and most preferably less thanabout 25;

wherein the solid or semisolid lathering composition is eithertransparent or has a substantially black color defined by a CIELightness Value, L*, of less than of less than about 50, preferably lessthan about 40, and most preferably less than about 30; and

wherein the weight ratio of the lathering composition to the fabricatedpolymer network is in the range from about 30 to 1 to about 2000 to 1.

In one embodiment, the continuous fabricated polymer network is anon-woven, 3-dimensional network of bonded fibers.

In another embodiment the fabricated polymer network is distributedthroughout at least about 55%, preferably at least about 75% and morepreferably at least about 90% of the volume of the latheringcomposition.

In another embodiment, the lathering composition and the fabricatedpolymer network are substantially color matched.

In another embodiment, the lathering composition includes an organicbenefit agent having an octanol/water partition coefficient of at leastabout 500, and an amount of water or water plus optional water solubleorganic solvent of at least about 40% by weight of latheringcomposition.

These and other variations of the articles disclosed herein will becomeclear from the description of the invention which follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein % or wt % refers to percent by weight of an ingredient ascompared to the total weight of the composition or component that isbeing discussed.

Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwiseexplicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amountsof material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materialsand/or use are to be understood as modified by the word “about.” Allamounts are by weight of the final composition, unless otherwisespecified.

For the avoidance of doubt the word “comprising” is intended to mean“including” but not necessarily “consisting of” or “composed of.” Inother words, the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive.

The subject invention provides a darkly colored article for personalcleansing having the general aspect or form of a fibrous bar thatincludes a solid or semi-solid lathering composition within which is atleast partially distributed a substantially black fabricated polymericnetwork.

The fabricated polymer network, the lathering composition and methods toprepare and evaluate the inventive article are described in detailbelow.

Fabricated Polymer Network

The inventive article includes a fabricated polymer network (hereinafteralternatively designated “FPN”) at least partially distributed in asolid or semi-solid lathering composition (hereinafter alternativelydesignated “lathering composition”) as described below. By the termpartially distributed is meant that the fabricated polymer networkshould occupy at least 55%, preferably at least 75% and most preferablyat least about 90% of the volume of the lathering composition.

It should be understood that the fabricated polymer network is a porousnetwork, preferably a highly porous network, comprised of a minor volumefraction of solid polymer and a major volume fraction of “void space”.This void space is occupied by the medium in which the FPN is immersed.Consequently, although the FPN occupies most of the geometric volume ofthe lathering composition as well as the fibrous bar, it generally makesup only a small fraction on a weight basis: about 0.05% to about 3% byweight of the fibrous bar.

By a “fabricated polymeric network”, is meant that the network issynthetic or man-made, and that this network is predominantly composedof a polymeric material. Thus, animal of vegetable sponges which arehard and scratchy when dry and require water for plasticization areoutside the scope of the invention. However, the polymer making up thefabricated network can be synthetic (e.g., polyethylene), naturallyoccurring (e.g., cellulose) or a hybrid (e.g., cotton/ polyester).

By the term “network” is meant that the component structural elements(e.g., polymer fibers) making up the network are connected at regular,identifiable and reproducible connection points. These connection pointscan be maintained or “bonded” by chemical, thermal or mechanical (e.g.,friction) means. Without wishing to be bound by theory, one of the waysthe FPN functions in the invention is by “cushioning” the latheringcomposition and reducing its intimate contact with “standing water”(e.g., water left in a soap dish). In order to provide this protectivecushioning effect, the network should be resilient (e.g., a threedimensional network of bonded fibers) and not simply a dilute dispersion(e.g., a suspension of discrete fibers).

Fabricated polymer networks suitable for the invention must first andforemost be suitable for frequent use as a cleansing implement inshowering and bathing: they should not be scratchy or highly abrasive.Thus, soft diamond-mesh sponges of the type described in U.S. Pat. No.5,144,744 to Campagnoli and commonly known as a pouf or a puff andrelated networks can be employed.

One suitable and preferred FPN is 3-dimensional non-woven material alsocalled a “batting layer”, having a length (i.e. the major axis) andwidth (i.e. the minor axis) oriented in the x-y plane and a heightoriented along its z axis. Non woven FPN useful for the presentinvention can range in basis weight from about 25 g/ m² to 1000 g/ m²

The non-woven FPN contains a large number of fiber-to-fiber bonds. Suchcontinuous networks of bonded fibers are achieved by using one or acombination of chemical or thermal bonding. The batting layer mayadvantageously have from about 0.25 to about 7 or more fiber to fiberbonds per cubic millimeter. Preferably, the batting layer has about 0.5to 5 fiber to fiber bonds per cubic millimeter and most preferably has aminimum of about 1 to 3 fiber to fiber bonds per cubic millimeter. Suchfiber bonds may be quantified using art recognized or equivalenttechniques such as the method described below.

Suitable non-wovens are comprised of synthetic and/or natural fibersconverted into continuous networks by conventional, well-knownnon-woven, woven or knit processing systems or combinations thereof.Generally well known non-woven processing systems transform fibers andfilaments directly into useful cohesive structures with adequatestrength that are not manufactured via knitting or weaving. Usefulsynthetic fibers include but are not limited to polyethylene,polypropylene, polyester, low-melt polyester, viscose rayon, polylacticacid and polyamide and blends/combinations thereof and the like. Furtherexamples of synthetic materials useful as components in the presentinvention include those selected from acetate fibers, acrylic fibers,cellulose ester fibers, and methacrylic fibers. Examples of some ofthese synthetic materials include acrylics such as Acrilan®, Creslan®,and the acrylonitrile-based fiber, Orlon®; cellulose ester fibers suchas cellulose acetate, Arnel®, and Acele®; polyamides such as Nylons(e.g., Nylon 6, Nylon 66, Nylon 610 and the like); polyesters such asFortrel®, Kodel®, and the polyethylene terephthalate fibers, Dacron®.

Additionally synthetic fibers used herein can be described as staple andcontinuous filaments including any blend thereof. Non-limiting examplesof natural materials useful in the fibrous assembly in the presentinvention are silk fibers, keratin fibers and cellulosic fibers.Non-limiting examples of keratin fibers include those selected from woolfibers, camel hair fibers, and the like. Non-limiting examples ofcellulosic fibers include those selected from wood pulp fibers, cottonfibers, hemp fibers, jute fibers, flax fibers, viscose fibers (rayon)and mixtures thereof. Additionally fibers used herein may includemulti-component fibers or combinations thereof. Useful fiber deniersincluded herein range from about 1 denier to 20 denier including anycombinations within this range.

With respect to manufacturing methods for non-wovens useful in thepresent invention, fibers are separated, oriented and deposited on aforming or conveying surface. Methods used to arrange or manipulatefibers described herein into a fibrous assembly include but are notlimited to carding/garnetting, airlay, wetlay, spunbond, meltblown,vertical lapping or any combination/iteration thereof and the like.Cohesion, strength and stability may be imparted into the fibrousassembly via a bonding mechanism that include but are not limited toneedlepunching, stitch bonding, hydroentangling, chemical bonding andthermal bonding and any combination/iteration thereof and the like.Fibers that comprise a fibrous structure/assembly may also be used thatare not chemically, and thermally bonded to one another to supplementthe continuous bonded network of the inventive bar. Such structures thatform a plurality of fiber to fiber contacts are all well suited for thepresent invention.

Some preferred embodiments of useful non-woven FPN include verticallapped non-wovens, which can be further described as having a givennumber of pleats per linear unit, i.e., pleats per cm. In this regards,pleats per cm is defined as the number of folds present in a cm ofnon-woven. This can be measured by placing two marks a fixed distanceapart, e.g., 2.54 cm in the machine direction of the non-woven.Subsequently, a count of the number of folds between the two marks istaken. The resultant count divided by the length between markings istaken as pleats per cm. A suitable high bulk corrugated non-wovenfabrics are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,054 to Stumpf issued onJun. 6, 1972; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,853 to Vaughn et al. Issued onMar. 18, 1986; which are incorporated in their entirety by referenceherein.

There are a variety of other ways that pleats can be arranged within theFPN to enhance its resiliency and usefulness as illustrated below.

In one arrangement, the non-woven network is a corrugated bulky fabricthat has pleats oriented substantially perpendicularly to the x-y planeof the fibrous bar. The x-y plane is defined as the plane of largestsurface of the article, i.e., the surface that mainly comes in contactwith the skin during cleansing. Preferably there should be about 2.5pleats per cm to about 15 pleats per cm, i.e., about 1 to 6 pleats perinch. Generally, the pleats will adhere together either through the useof an adhesive or by entanglements.

In another arrangement the non-woven network is a corrugated bulkyfabric that has a plurality of discrete peaks. The peaks form a 3dimensional pattern where the major axis of the peaks is substantiallyaligned with the z axis of the fabric, i.e., the axis that is orientedsubstantially perpendicularly to the x-y plane of the fibrous bar.Preferably the number of peaks per square cm is in the range of about0.25 to about 3 peaks per square cm. Again adhesive or entanglement isgenerally used to reinforce the corrugated structure.

In another corrugated arrangement, the bulky fabric has a polygonalregular or irregular 3 dimensional honeycomb-like structure ofapproximately cylindrical cells. Here the major axis of each cylindricalcell of the honeycomb-like structure is oriented substantiallyperpendicularly to the x-y plane of the fibrous bar.

In yet another corrugated variant, the bulky fabric has a plurality ofattached layers oriented substantially perpendicularly to the x-y planeof the cleansing article. Here, the attached layers can be arranged inan arbitrary pattern composed of one or more of spiral, wavy or foldedarrangement(s).

Another type of fabricated polymer network is a soft sponge formed froma woven material especially a soft diamond mesh polymeric scrim (alight-weight, open woven fabric). An example of one type of sponge isprepared from extruded tubular netting mesh, which is composed ofsmooth, flexible polymeric material. Extruded tubular netting mesh ofthis type, and particularly those prepared from polyethylene are readilyavailable in industry.

The polymeric mesh sponge comprises a plurality of plys of an extrudedtubular netting mesh prepared from a flexible polymer, preferably of thegroup consisting of addition polymers of olefin monomers, and polyamidesof polycarboxylic acids and polyamines.

One way such tubular netting can be employed is to form a series ofpleats by repeatedly folding the tube to form a 3-dimensional pad thatcan fit within a mold used to fabricate the cleansing article. Althoughthe individual pleats can be unsecured, the “pad” so formed will unravelas the fibrous bar is used and the lathering composition dissolves.Preferably, however, the pleats are secured by some type of bonding orclosure to form a permanent 3-dimension pad or batt.

The bonding can be via thermal treatment (spot or strip welded) or bythe application of adhesive (e.g., hot-melt). Alternatively, the pleatscan be secured by a weaving or punch process or by any other suitableclosure known in the art.

Examples of batts formed by pleating soft diamond mesh scrim aredescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,830 to Girardot et al incorporated byreference herein.

In the non-woven bonded or woven FPN described above, some or all of theindividual fibers may be water-soluble/water-dispersible, i.e., thefibers disintegrate or dissolve in water. Suitable materials forwater-soluble/water-dispersible fibers include, but are not limited to,polyethylene oxide (“PEO”), blends of PEO and polypropylene as taught inUnited States Patent Application 2002/022691 A1, hereby incorporated byreference. Other examples include polylactic acid fibers sold under thetradename LACTRON® by Kanebo, polysaccharides sold under the tradenameLYSORB® available from Lysac Technologies Inc., and polyvinyl alcoholsuch as those sold under the tradename KURALON K-II available fromKuraray Co., Ltd.

Another type of FPN is open cell foam fabricated from polyurethane,modified polyurethane or coated polyurethane. Although not physically afibrous structure, the characteristics of open cell foam, especiallyreticulated open cell foam (cell faces are essentially absent), havemany aspects in common with non-woven fiber networks. As such, FPNformed from open cell polyurethane foams are included in the scope of“fibrous cleansing bars”. Such foams are available in reticulated ornon-reticulated forms. Of these forms flexible, reticulated, open-cellfoams having a density between about 0.02 gm/cm³ to about 0.03 gm/cm³are particularly suitable because they are soft, have a high void volumeand are readily incorporated in the lathering composition.

Modified polyurethanes include for example hydrophilic polyurethaneformed by reacting an isethionate-terminated prepolymer formed from ahydrophilic polyol ether polyol, e.g., polyoxyethylene polyol and apolyisocyanate and with a water reactant. Such hydrophilic polyurethanesare described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,200.

As was the case of FPN based on fiber assemblies described above,synthetic sponges like open-cell polyurethane foams can be pleated orcorrugated in a variety of patterns. This can be accomplished by anysuitable post-treatment such a compression thermal bonding. However, amore practical approach is by the direct molding of the foam in theshape and texture desired.

Regardless of its specific structure, the fabricated polymer network ofthis invention has a substantially red color. A variety of color systemscan be used to characterize the color of an object. These include forexample the well-known Munsell, CIE and Hunter Systems. Three componentscontribute to color: hue, saturation and lightness or brightness. Huedesignates a spectral color, e.g., green.

Saturation is a measure of the extent of dilution of the spectral colorwith achromatic light (which can be regarded as consisting of a mixtureof black and white components, e.g., gray). The greater the saturationthe less is the dilution with achromatic light.

Lightness or brightness which is related both to overall intensity oflight is a function of illuminance (how and how strongly the object isilluminated) and its reflectivity (or transmittance). The lower thelightness value the darker the color appears. Lightness is independentof hue or saturation and for an achromatic surface (no dominant hue)defines a gray scale.

The system used herein to define a color space is the CIE L*a*b* system.In this variant of the CIE color system, lightness/darkness is measuredby the “L* value” which is dimensionless and runs from 0 to 100. Hue andsaturation are measured by the values of a* (+values red, −values green,higher the absolute value the more saturated the color) and b* (+valuesyellow, -values blue, higher the absolute value the more saturated thecolor). When a*=b*=0, the value of L* spans the achromatic gray scale.

The term black strictly refers to the absence of color (achromatic) andperfectly black is defined as L=0. In the context of the currentinvention the term “substantially black” refers to a fabricated polymernetwork that is either achromatic (a*=b*≈0) or has a perceivable hueprovided that in ether case, the lightness as measured by the CIE L*value is less than about 50, preferably less than about 30 and mostpreferably less than about 25. Such networks are perceived to have asimilar visual quality described as a very dark, close to black color.

A preferred embodiment is a FPN that is achromatic and has a CIE L*value in the appropriate range, i.e., less than about 20.

FPN that have a green or blue hue are also suitable provided their CIEL* value is sufficiently low. The L* value required to achieve thedesired visual darkness to function optimally, i.e., mask discolorationof the lathering composition depends, however, on the specific hue andsaturation of the color. It has been found through experiment that thelower the saturation, the higher the L* threshold to achieve asufficiently dark network.

Non-limiting examples of CIE L*, a*, b* color combinations that yieldfabricated polymer networks having preferred substantially black colorsare:

-   -   Blue Hue    -   a*˜0; b*˜−20; L*<20, preferably <15    -   a*˜0; b*˜−40; L*<10, preferably <5    -   Green Hue    -   a*˜0; b*˜−20; L*<20, preferably <15    -   a*˜0; b*˜−40; L*<10, preferably <5    -   Achromatic—(true black)    -   a*˜0; b*˜0; L*<15, preferably <10

In principle any of the acceptable FPN forms can be coloredsubstantially black utilizing any of a variety of safe coloring methodsknown in the art provided that the colorant is stable in the presence ofprolonged contact with the surfactant based lathering system.

For PFN based predominantly on thermoplastic polymer fibers such aspolyolefins (e.g., polypropylene and polyethylene) and polyesters(polyethylene terephthalate) a commonly used and a preferred coloringtechnique is the incorporation of a colorant within the fiber duringfiber manufacture, i.e., in the melt. This is generally accomplished byutilizing either a dispersed pigment or a colorant that is soluble inthe molten polymer.

For dispersed pigment, a dispersion of the pigment is formed in anappropriate vehicle such as low-density polyethylene in the case ofpolypropylene to form a color additive pre-dispersion. This coloradditive is uniformly mixed with the molten polymer prior to formationof the fiber.

When polymer-soluble colorants are employed, these are typically addeddirectly to the molten polymer. These process yields a highly color-fastfiber and ultimately a highly color-fast FPN.

Both inorganic and organic pigments can be used to form the pigmentpre-dispersion in the above described process. Carbon black is apreferred example of a black pigment and is available in particle sizesthat cover a range of denier—even microfibers. Non limiting examples ofsuitable organic pigments are stabilized copper phthalocyanine pigmentsfor blue hues, and halogenated copper phthalocyanine pigments for greenhues and a dioxazine for a violet hue.

Examples of polymer soluble colorants are for polyesters phthalocyaninessuch as solvent blue 67; perinones such as solvent red 135; andanthraquinones such as pigment yellow 147, and 163.

A second suitable but less preferred method of coloring is thepost-coloring (commonly called dyeing) of the fabricated polymernetwork, e.g., the non-woven batt, after it is formed. Any suitabledyeing process can be utilized provided that it leads to an FPN that iscolor-stable in the presence of prolonged contact with the surfactantbased lathering system.

For hydrophobic synthetic based FPN such as polyester based networks,disperse dye systems are commonly used. Disperse dyes are in factgenerally nonionic water-insoluble pigments and lakes. Other types ofdyes, e.g., direct dyes are more suitable for FPN containing morehydrophilic fibers such as cotton or NYLON

Preferably, for suitable lather generation of the inventive cleansingarticle, the density and therefore porosity (P) are important. Porositycan be defined as the volume fraction of air to polymer within a givenFPN. Porosity can be expressed using following equation:${P = \frac{\rho_{f} - \rho_{w}}{\rho_{f}}},$where ρ_(f) is fiber (or polymer) density (g/cm³) and ρ_(w) is FPNdensity (g/cm³). Note that the FPN density is based on the apparentthickness of the fabricated network structure. Preferably, the FPN ofthe present invention should display porosity in the range of from about0.95 to 0.9999.

Another advantageous material property is the resiliency of the FPNassembly used in the present invention. Specifically, Percent EnergyLoss is a desirable parameter as it describes the resilience of thenetwork to an applied load. % Energy Loss is calculated as follows:${{\%\quad{EnergyLoss}} = {\left\lbrack \frac{J_{T} - J_{R}}{J_{T}} \right\rbrack*100}},$where J_(T), is the Total Energy required to compress the FPN to a 100gram load and J_(R) is the Recovered Energy during one compression cycle(see Energy Loss Test Method described below). Lower energy loss is seento correspond to a more resilient network. Preferably, FPN of thecurrent invention have percent energy loss values ranging from about 5%to 50%. Networks having this level of resiliency are also preferredbecause they have been found to be more effective in the cushioningprocess described above.

Another useful property of the FPN is air permeability. Air permeabilitypreferably is in the range of about 200 to 900 cubic ft/sq. ft/min(about 60 to about 275 m³/m²/min), more preferably of about 300-700cubic ft/sq. ft/min (about 90 to about 212 m³/m²/min). Note that 1 cubicft/sq. ft/min is equal to 0.304 m³/m²/min. Air permeability may bemeasured using the methodology described below

Lathering Composition

The lathering composition forms a contiguous solid or semi-solid phasewhich extends throughout the void volume of the fabricated polymernetwork which it at least partially encompasses. By contiguous is meantthat the lathering composition is not simply trapped as isolated poolswithin the pores of the network as would be the case for a scrub orcleaning pads or filled sponge but rather is a continuous phase runningthroughout the at least partially encompassed FPN.

The lathering composition comprises the majority of the cleansingarticle by weight. Thus, the ratio of the weight of the latheringcomposition to weight of the FPN is in the range from about 30 to 1 toabout 2000 to 1, preferably about 50 to 1 to about 500 to 1, and mostpreferably about 75 to 1 to about 250 to 1.

The lathering composition is preferably a solid of a hardness typical oftoilet soaps (often characterized by the term “soft solid”) or asemi-solid elastic material that has an sufficient yield value to retainits shape and to be self supporting. In contrast, viscous pastes thatare typically used in scrub or cleaning pads or filled sponge areoutside the scope of the present invention.

When the lathering composition is in the form of a solid the compositionshould have a hardness value measured at a temperature at 25° C. of atleast about 15 lbs/in² (103.4 kPa), preferably at least about 20 lbs/in²(139 kPa), and more preferably greater than about 25 lbs/in² (172.4 kPa)as measured by the Cylinder Impaction Test described in the EvaluationMethodology section below. To convert to SI units 1 lbs/in² is equal to6.895 kPa.

The lathering composition can also be a semi-solid, preferably anelastic semi-solid. The term semi-solid as used herein designatesstructures that in the absence of a rigid container can keep the shapein which they have been molded or formed for long periods of time:typically days to months. However, they may be deformed and oftenexhibit viscoelastic behavior in shear deformation.

Semi-solids useful as the lathering composition of the present inventionshould have a yield stress expressed as the force per unit area requiredto cut or fracture the semi-solid composition. Generally, thecomposition of the present invention have a yield stress that is greaterthan about 10 kPa, preferably greater than about 15 kPa and mostpreferably greater than about 20 kPa.

By the term elastic is meant that the composition substantially returnsto its original shape after a force is applied for a set time and thenremoved. Specifically, the surface of the lathering composition whencompressed to 80% of its thickness and held for 1 minute should becapable of returning to within about 5% of its original thickness withinabout 30 seconds.

The elasticity of the composition can be characterized by its elasticmodulus, which is defined in the present context as the ratio of theforce acting normal to a unit area and the linear displacement producedby this force. An alternative measure of elasticity is the compliance,which is the reciprocal of the elastic modulus, and represents theextent of deformation produced by a unit stress (e.g., pressure) actingnormal to the surface of the semi-solid.

The compliance of the foamable composition is expressed as thedisplacement in millimeters produced by a 1 gram force acting over a 1square centimeter area of gel. Compliance has units of mm/gm/cm² and canbe converted into the SI units of M/Pa by multiplying by the factor1.02×10⁻⁴.

Since the compliance is a function of applied stress, a compliance at astress value of 3.95 gm/cm² is a convenient measure for comparison ofcompositions as this represents the stress provided by a 20 gm forceacting over 2.45 cm (1 inch) cylindrical platens (area 5.067 cm²).

When the lathering composition is in the form of an elastic semi-solid,the compliance should be in the range of from about 0.06 to about 1,preferably from about 0.07 to about 0.3 and most preferably from about0.07 to about 0.2 mm/gm/cm² when measured at a stress value of 3.95gm/cm².

The lathering composition includes one or more lathering surfactants,color additives and various optional ingredients such as water-solublesolvents, hydrophobic benefit agents, structuring agents, and adjuncts.These components are described below.

A. Surfactants

Surfactant components provide lather and assist in the removal of soiland germs. The surfactant should be sufficiently mild to skin and eyesto be suitable for everyday use in cleaning the body in combination withthe fabricated polymer network. A variety of surfactant classesdiscussed below can be employed in the invention.

Anionic Surfactants

Anionic surfactants may comprise about 2% to about 60%, preferably about2% about 45% and more preferably about 5% to about 35% by weight of thelathering composition.

Soluble soaps are one suitable type of anionic surfactant. Soluble soapis defined as a soap or soap blend having a Krafft point less than orequal to about 40° C. The soluble soap(s) can be selected from the chainlength of C₆-C₁₄ saturated fatty acid soap(s) and C₁₆-C₁₈ unsaturatedand polyunsaturated fatty acid soap(s) or a combination of these fattyacid soaps. Here the Krafft point of the soap is defined as thetemperature at which the solubility of the soap rises sharply. Thesesoluble soaps can be derived from coco fatty acid, Babasu fatty acid,palm kernel fatty acid and any other source of unsaturated fatty acidincluding tallow and vegetable oils and their mixtures. The soap may beprepared from coconut oils in which case the fatty acid content ofC₁₂-C₁₈ is about 85% with C₁₂-C₁₄ species predominant. In addition tospecific “soluble” soap, additional soap(s), which may not be assoluble, may be used. These soap components are here referred to asinsoluble soaps. Such soaps are typically formed from saturated fattyacids having C₁₆-C₁₈ saturated hydrocarbon chains, The insoluble soapcomponents can for example, be in the range of 5-20% as a structurantfor the lathering composition.

The term “soap” is used here in its popular sense, i.e., the alkalimetal or alkanol ammonium salts of aliphatic alkane- or alkenemonocarboxylic acids. Sodium, potassium, mono-, di- and tri-ethanolammonium (TEA) cations, or combinations thereof, are suitable forpurposes of this invention. In general, sodium soaps are used in thecompositions of this invention, but from about 1% to about 25% of thesoap may be potassium or TEA soaps. Overall the soap(s) useful hereinare the well known alkali metal salts of natural of synthetic aliphatic(alkanoic or alkenoic) acids having about 12 to 22 carbon atoms,preferably about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms. They may be described asalkali metal carboxylates of hydrocarbons having about 12 to about 22carbon atoms. The soaps may contain unsaturation in accordance withcommercially acceptable standards. Excessive unsaturation is normallyavoided to minimize the color and odor issues.

Soaps may be made by the classic kettle boiling process or moderncontinuous soap manufacturing processes wherein natural fats and oilssuch as tallow or coconut oil or their equivalents are saponified withan alkali metal hydroxide using procedures well known to those skilledin the art. Alternatively, the soaps may be made by neutralizing fattyacids, such as lauric (C 12), myristic (C 14), palmitic (C 16), orstearic (C 18) acids with an alkali metal hydroxide or carbonate oralkanolamide.

The lathering composition of the present invention may contain one ormore anionic synthetic surfactants (commonly called syndets).

The anionic surfactant may be an aliphatic sulfonate, such as a primaryalkane (e.g., C₈-C₂₂) sulfonate, primary alkane (e.g., C₈-C₂₂)disulfonate, C₈-C₂₂ alkene sulfonate, C₈-C₂₂ hydroxyalkane sulfonate oralkyl glyceryl ether sulfonate (AGS).

The anionic may also be an alkyl sulfate (e.g., C₁₂-C₁₈ alkyl sulfate)or alkyl ether sulfate such as alkyl ethoxy (1-10 EO) sulfate and analkyl glyceryl ether sulfate or a mixture of the two.

The anionic may also be C₁₀ to C₁₈, preferably C₁₂ to C₁₄ alkylsulfosuccinates; alkyl and acyl taurates, alkyl and acyl sarcosinates,fatty N-acyl amino acid salts, sulfoacetates, C₈-C₂₂ alkyl phosphates,alkyl phosphate esters and alkoxyl alkyl phosphate esters, acyllactates, C₈-C₂₂ monoalkyl succinates and maleates, sulphoacetates, andacyl isethionates, and the like.

Sodium and ammonium alkylethoxy (1-5 EO) sulfosuccinates, especiallylauryl ethoxy (3 EO) sulfosuccinate are also useful.

Especially useful acy isethionates are C₈-C₁₄ acyl isethionates that areprepared by reaction between alkali metal isethionate with mixedaliphatic fatty acids having from 8 to 12 carbon atoms and an iodinevalue of less than 20.

Amphoteric Surfactants

One or more amphoteric surfactants may be used in this invention. Suchsurfactants include at least one acid group. This acid group may be acarboxylic or a sulphonic acid group. They also include quaternarynitrogen and therefore are quaternary amido acids.

A further possibility is that the amphoteric surfactant is asulphobetaine. A preferred sulfobetaine is cocoamidopropyl hydroxysultaine Amphoacetates and diamphoacetates are also intended to becovered in the zwitterionic and/or amphoteric compounds which are usedsuch as e.g., sodium lauroamphoacetate, sodium cocoamphoacetate, andblends thereof, and the like.

A preferred amphoteric surfactant is an alkyl betaine such ascocobetaine. or an alkylamidoalkyl betaine such as cocoamidoproylbetaine or mixtures thereof.

When present, the level of amphoteric surfactant can be in the rangefrom about 1% to about 15%, preferably from about 1% to about 10%, andmost preferably from about 1.5% to about 8%.

Nonionic Surfactants

One or more nonionic surfactants may also be used provided they do notinterfere with lathering or overall skin mildness or induce eyeirritation. When present, nonionic surfactants may be used at levelsfrom 1% to about 10%, preferably about 1% to about 5%, and mostpreferably from about 0.5% to about 4% by weight.

The nonionics which may be generally used include the reaction productsof compounds having a hydrophobic group and a reactive hydrogen atom,for example aliphatic alcohols, acids, amides with alkylene oxides,especially ethylene oxide either alone or with propylene oxide. Examplesof nonionic surfactants detergent compounds are (C₁₂-C₂₂) fattyalcohol-ethylene oxide condensates. However, alkylphenol-ethylene oxidecondensates should be minimized and preferably be avoided because oftheir defatting properties.

The nonionic surfactant may also be a C₁₀ to C₁₆, preferably C₁₂ to C₁₄fatty alkanol amide such as cocamide MEA. These nonionics areparticularly effective foam boosting agents.

Other types of suitable nonionic surfactants are derived fromsaccharides or polysaccharides. These include C₁₀ to C₁₈ alkylglycosides and alkylipolyglycosides which can be broadly defined ascondensates of long chain alcohols, e.g., C8-30 alcohols, with sugars orstarches, i.e., glycosides or polyglycosides.

Other useful nonionic surfactants include polyhydroxy fatty acid amidesurfactants; specific examples of which include glucosamides such ascoconut alkyl N-methyl glucosamide.

Other examples of nonionic surfactants are amine oxides such asdimethyldodecylamine oxide.

Cationic Surfactants

One or more cationic surfactants may also be used in the inventivefoamable composition. Advantageously cationic surfactants are used fromabout 0.5 to about 10%, preferably from about 0.5% to about 5% by wt.

Examples of cationic surfactants are the quaternary ammonium compoundssuch as alkyldimethylammonium halides

Other suitable surfactants which may be used are described in U.S. Pat.No. 3,723,325 to Parran Jr. titled “Detergent Compositions ContainingParticle Deposition Enhancing Agents” issued Mar. 27, 1973; and “SurfaceActive Agents and Detergents” (Vol. I & II) by Schwartz, Perry andBerch, both of which are also incorporated into the subject applicationby reference.

In preferred embodiments of the invention the surfactant system andoptional water soluble organic solvent (see below) are chosen so as toprovide a translucent or transparent lathering composition. The meaningsof “transparent” and “translucent” are those generally employed and arein accordance with usual dictionary definitions. Thus, a transparentsoap is one that, like glass, allows the ready viewing of objects behindit. A translucent soap is one which allows light to pass through it butthe light may be so scattered, as by a very small proportion of crystalsor insolubles that it will not be possible to clearly identify objectsbehind the translucent soap.

Of course, even “transparent” objects, such as glass, can prevent seeingthrough them if they are thick enough. For the purpose of thisspecification, it will be considered that the soap section tested fortransparency or translucency is approximately 6.4 mm. thick (¼ inch).Thus, if one is able to read 14 point bold face type through a ¼ inch or6.4 mm thickness of soap, the soap qualifies as transparent. If one cansee light through such a sample thickness but can't read the type print,the soap is only translucent. Of course, all transparent soaps alsoqualify as translucent (considering translucent as generic). Other testsfor transparency and translucency, including the translucency voltagetest mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,116, may also be employed.

The level of translucency can be quantified by the measurement of lighttransmittance using for example a UV-vis spectophotometer. For example,different samples of the lathering compositions of a constant thickness,e.g., 6.4 mm or 10 mm are prepared. The % transmittance of light, from400-800 nm, through this sample is measured. In opaque soaps, i.e.,non-translucent, the transmittance of light through a one centimetersample is zero while in translucent soaps a progressively larger amountof light is transmitted. Transparent means that 14 print font can beread through the sample of the selected controlled thickness.

Transparent lathering compositions can be prepared with a variety ofsurfactant compositions as is well known in the art. Generally thisinvolves the minimization of the size of solid domains (amorphous orcrystalline), e.g., solid soap that serve as scattering centers throughthe use of crystallization inhibitors, intensive mixing or a combinationof these. Additionally, the refractive index difference between thecontinuous generally aqueous phase and any disperse solid phase presentin the composition can be reduced through the use of highly waterorganic soluble solvents such as alcohols and polyols, e.g., sorbitol.Generally a combination of approaches is employed.

It has been found that translucent or transparent lathering compositionscan be made darker in color without using excessive levels of colorantsand also exhibit greater enhancement of coloration when using thesubstantially black FPN described above. Without wishing to be bound bytheory, it is believed that opaque lathering compositions opticallydilute the colorant with a scattered white light component whicheffectively raises the reflectivity and thus the lightness value andalso masks the effect of the darkly colored FPN.

Transparent compositions are preferred because they require the leastlevel of colorant especially when they are colorless. In fact it hasbeen found that colorant is not always required in transparent latheringcompositions especially when the FPN is very dark (L*<15) and composedof a high density of fibers.

B. Colorants

The lathering compositions of the present invention can be eithertransparent, translucent or opaque.

When the lathering composition is transparent, it has been found thatthe inclusion of colorant is not always required although colorant canbe added to enhance the appearance of the finished cleansing article(the fibrous bar) for example the overall color intensity.

In contrast, opaque or translucent lathering compositions requirecolorant to achieve fibrous bars that are aesthetically pleasing andremain so during storage and especially during use. Ideally, the colorof the opaque or translucent lathering composition should match thecolor of the fibrous network especially its lightness sufficientlyclosely that the cleansing article viewed as a whole does not appearinhomogeneous.

For translucent or opaque lathering compositions the preferred color issubstantially red as defined above in terms of the chromaticitycoordinates L* a* b*.

One embodiment of the invention is a fibrous bar in which the fabricatedpolymer network and the lathering composition are substantiallycolor-matched. By the term “substantially color-matched” is meant thatthe chromaticity values of the FPN and the lathering composition aresufficiently close so that the fibrous bar appears uniform, e.g., thelathering composition coordinates visually with the FPN.

To match the color of the lathering composition to the FPN, anysystematic optimization procedure can be employed. For example, a matrixof test composition incorporating different levels of dyes can beprepared and their CIE color coordinates measured. A three dimensionalregression analysis can be performed correlating dye concentration withthe color difference between the test lathering compositions and thetarget color (e.g., that of the FPN being employed). A useful measure ofcolor difference is ΔE defined as ((ΔL*)²+(Δa*)²+(Δb*)²)^(1/2). In thisprocedure the colorant mix is chosen by extrapolation to giveΔE≦ΔE_(crit) where ΔE_(crit) represents the minimum difference requiredto produce a fibrous bar that is sufficiently homogeneous in appearancebased on consumer requirements and of the desired color.

The lathering compositions of the present invention are darkly coloredand substantially black. The system used herein to define a color spacefor the lathering composition is again the CIE L*a*b* system. Utilizingthis color system In the context of a lathering composition, the term“substantially black” refers to a solid or semi-solid latheringcomposition that is either achromatic (true black) or has a perceivablehue provided that in ether case, the lightness as measured by the CIE L*value is less than about 60, preferably less than about 40 and mostpreferably less than about 20. Such compositions are perceived to have asimilar visual quality described as a very dark, close to black color.

Preferred embodiments are lathering composition that are eitherachromatic (close to a*=b*≈0) or have a green or blue hue provided theCIE L* value is sufficiently low. The L* value required to achieve thedesired visual darkness to provide unique and desirable appearancedepends, however, on the specific hue and saturation of the color. Ithas been found through experimentation that the lower the saturation,the higher the L* threshold to achieve a sufficiently dark color.

Non-limiting examples of L*,a*,b* combinations (“color coordinates”)providing a suitable color to the lathering compositions are: Dominanthue L* a* b* Blue 51.2 −22.2 −36.1 35.5 −10.4 −45.5 Green 55.6 −49.345.1 40.3 −40.6 1.1 Achromatic 19.1 0.47 −1.84

A variety of dyes and pigments (especially lakes) are suitable forcoloring the lathering composition and various combinations of suitablecolorants for soap and toilet bars can be employed. Suitable dyesinclude the various FD&C dyes such as FD&C Blue #1 and #2, Yellow #5, #6and #10, Red #27, #30 (lake) #3 (dye and lake) and #40, Green #3, #5, #6and 8, Violet #2, and their mixtures.

Other examples of colorants are ultramarine blue (medium and darkgrades), ultramarine violet, black oxide, and red oxide (less preferredbut useful as part of a colorant blend), yellow oxide, hydrated chromiumoxide and chromium oxide green, brown oxide and their mixtures

Colorants from vegetable and mineral sources can also be employed.Non-limiting examples include: green clay (french)/montmorillonit, greentea, hemp seed oil (unrefined), ground henna, indigo root; kelp, oolongtea extract palm or palm kernel oils (unrefined), poppy seeds, rattanjotsafflower petals, sage, sea clay, seaweeds, spirulina/blue-green algae,tumeric, yellow illite (clay) and their mixtures with natural or othertypes of colorants.

Various color adjuncts and modifiers can also be employed. For examplepolymers such those incorporating -alkyl-2-oxazolidinone moieties can beutilized to form insoluble organic from a water-soluble organic dye asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,484 to Walles et al.

Preferred colorants include combinations of FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40,FD&C Yellow #5, and FD&C Yellow #6.

The level of colorant depends on the composition of the latheringcomposition, e.g., its opacity and intrinsic color. A level of colorantfrom about 0.1% to about 1%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 0.5%,and most preferably from about 0.2% to about 0.4% based on the weight ofthe lathering composition is generally acceptable.

C. Optional Ingredients

Water Soluble Organic Solvents

The term “water soluble organic solvent” is used herein to describe ahighly water soluble organic molecule that is innocuous to the skin inaqueous solution and can be used to manipulate the solubility of otherorganic molecules, alter the pliability, the clarity or other propertiesof the composition. The water soluble organic solvent can be a liquid ora solid in its pure state. By highly water soluble is meant a watersolubility in excess of 10% by weight, preferably in excess of 20% byweight and most preferably a solubility in excess of 50% by weight inwater at room temperature. Preferred organic solvents are humectantsolvents which effectively reduce water activity and thus retard waterevaporation. It has been found that humectant solvents are useful inpreventing discoloration of darkly colored fibrous bars that are basedon translucent or transparent lathering compositions. Preferredhumectant solvents are glycerol, sorbitol and low molecular weightpolyethylene oxide.

One group of suitable water soluble organic solvents for use hereininclude C₁-C₁₀ mono- or polyhydric alcohols and/or their alkoxylatedethers. In these compounds, alcoholic residues containing 3 to 6 carbonatoms are particularly preferred. Examples of this group includeethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, butanol, propylene glycol, ethyleneglycol monoethyl ether, hexylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol and mixturesthereof.

Another group of suitable water soluble organic solvents includepolyalkylene oxides having a molecular weight below about 1000 Daltons.These include polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, and random orblock copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide alone or alsocontaining butylene oxide and/or a terminal alcohol group having about 2to about 8 carbon atoms.

Water soluble organic solvents can also be sugars and low molecularweight polysaccharides (<25 kDaltons) such as sucrose, glucose,polydextrose, and maltodextrin.

Another type of water soluble organic solvent is an alkanolamine such astriethanolamine.

The water soluble organic solvent(s) may be present at a level of from 0to about 50%, preferably from about 2 to about 35% and most preferablyfrom about 2% to 30% based on the total weight of the latheringcomposition.

Structuring Agents

Structuring of the lathering composition is often provided by thesurfactants themselves. For example, interlocking networks ofmacroscopic crystals of soap may provide the structure. Suchcompositions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340, 492 to Kacher et alissued Aug. 23, 1994, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,567 to Nadakatti et alissued Apr. 2, 2002 both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Another example of surfactant structured compositions are the “coagels”formed by networks of nano-crystals or by an isotropic liquidcrystalline phase, e.g., cubic or gel phases. Nonlimiting examples ofsuch compositions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,453 to Chamberset al issued Jan. 29, 1991 and U.S. Pat. No 5,310,485 to Hill et alissued May 10, 1994.

However, in some circumstances additional structuring agents proveuseful and can be employed in the invention at levels between about 0.5%and about 15% by weight, preferably between about 1% and about 10% byweight. Such structurants include saturated, (C₈-C₁₈) fatty acids orester derivatives thereof, substituted fatty acids, long chain,preferably straight and/or branched long chain, saturated, (C₁₃-C₂₄)alkyl alcohol, or C₁₉-C24 alkenyl alcohols or mixtures thereof.Non-limiting examples include stearic acid, 12-hydroxystearic acid andcetostearyl alcohol. Non-limiting examples of the effective use of suchstructurants in thermosetting compositions are disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 6,458,751 to Abbas et al issued Oct. 1, 2002 and incorporated byreference herein.

Other useful structuring components are mono- di- and triglyceridesespecially hydrogenated glycerides such a hydrogenated cotton seed oil.

Mixtures of long chain fatty amines with anionic surfactants alone oradmixed with fatty acid or fatty alcohol can also be employed asstructurants.

Another class of useful structuring agents for semi-solid compositionsis thermosetting polymers, i.e., polymers that form thermoreversiblegels having a specific melting of gelling temperature. These polymersare particularly useful in the formulation of thermosetting elasticcompositions. Non-limiting examples of useful polymers that formthermoreversible semi-solids include gelatin, carrageenan, agar, andgellan.

The incorporation of agents that provide some structure to thecomposition while it is still in the molten state is often very usefulin the preparation of compositions that incorporate multiple phases.Such structurants suspend and prevent segregation of dispersed phasesbefore the composition sets. Example of suitable structuring agents forgas bubbles are the PEG alkyl ester and PEG alkyl ethers such as PEG(12) monolaurate. Examples of thermosetting compositions utilizing suchsuspending agents for highly aerated bars are described in U.S. Pat. No.5,972,860 to Eshita et al Issued Oct. 26, 1999 and incorporated byreference herein.

Examples of other suitable structurants for suspension of for example,particulate inclusions are synthetic or natural hectorites. A synthetichectorite, LAPONITE XLG from Laporte is particularly suitable. Examplesof thermosetting compositions utilizing such suspending agents forsuspending articles such as microcapsules in thermosetting compositionsis disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,543 to Edmund George issued Jun. 11,2002.

Other structuring aids can also be selected from water soluble polymerschemically modified with a hydrophobic moiety or moieties, for example,EO-PO block copolymer, hydrophobically modified PEG such asPOE(200)-glyceryl-stearate, glucam DOE 120 (PEG 120 Methyl GlucoseDioleate), and Hodag CSA-102 (PEG-150 stearate), and Rewoderm® (PEGmodified glyceryl cocoate, palmate or tallowate) from Rewo Chemicals.Other structuring aids which may be used include Amerchol Polymer HM1500 (Nonoxynyl Hydroxyethyl Cellulose) and hydroxypropyl starchphosphate sold by National Starch and Chemicals.

The lathering composition can optionally contain fillers, which providebody or strength to the composition. Suitable fillers are selected frominorganic minerals such as calcium sulfate, sodium aluminates, and thelike; starches, preferably water soluble starches such as maltodextrinand the like and polyethylene wax or paraffin wax, and the like. Fillersmay be present in the composition in the range of about 1 to about 15 %by weight, preferably about 1 to about 10% by weight.

Aesthetic and Adiunct Ingredients

A wide variety of optional ingredients can be incorporated in thelathering composition provided they do not interfere with thestructuring, in-use properties of the composition (e.g., lather amountand rate), and visual characteristics of the darkly colored,substantially black article. Adjunct ingredients include but are notlimited to: perfumes; pearlizing agents, nacreous “interferencepigments” such as TiO₂ coated micas; sensates such as menthol andginger; preservatives such as dimethyloldimethylhydantoin (GlydantXL1000), parabens, sorbic acid and the like; anti-oxidants such as, forexample, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT); chelating agents such as saltsof ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) and trisodium etridronate;emulsion stabilizers; auxiliary thickeners; buffering agents; skinconditioning agents such as silicones (e.g., Dimethicone), hydrocarbon(e.g., petrolatum) and cationic polymers (e.g., cationic guars andcellulosics), and mixtures thereof.

Manufacturing and Packaging

The fibrous bars of the invention are preferably made by a melt and pour(also called “melt-cast”) process in which the molten latheringcomposition is combined with and at least partially encompasses thefabricated polymer network and is then allowed to solidify or gel, i.e.,by reducing the temperature to below the melting point.

This process can be carried out in several ways. In one preferredembodiment, the combining step is carried out in a single-use mold wherethe mold forms all or a part of the package in which the fibrous bar issold or even stored during use. A description follows.

Two broad types of single-use molds, well known in the art, can beemployed. The first is made up of two or more individual parts that arepreassembled (press fitted or glued) into a “unitary design” beforefilling it with the molten lathering composition. In this case, the FPNcan be inserted into the mold either before or after the mold isassembled. Here, the molten composition is injected or poured into themold, and then the mold entry is sealed by either heat sealing or with aseparate covering (e.g., a polymer film). Such a mold can be filledeither along one of its edges or along its face.

The second type of single-use mold is a “blister pack” formed by shapinga polymer film (e.g., blow molding or stretching over a mandrill) into acup-like structure. Here, the FPN can be inserted into the mold beforeor after the molten lathering composition is added. Furthermore, thebottom of the cup can have either a protrusion or well that accommodatesa part of the fibrous layer, or can have an elevated or depressed areathat provides an indicia or logo to the fibrous bar. Once the blisterpack is filled, the pack is sealed and cooled (not necessarily in thisorder). The sealing is generally accomplished by covering with apolymer, paper or laminated film: sealing provided via some form ofadhesive or by heat or pressure sealing.

Either the unitary design or blister pack mold can be subjected to lowertemperature cooling to accelerate the setting of the composition. Thecooling can be accomplished either in bulk storage (e.g., arefrigerator) or by passage through a cooling chamber such as a coolingtunnel. The single use mold can serve as the final package at point ofsale and thus bears printing or a means for hanging or display.Alternatively, the mold can be further wrapped or cartoned.

A second suitable processing route employs a multiple-use mold whereinthe fibrous bar is formed and solidified in the mold, released from themold for further processing. In this case the mold is reused. Adisposable mold can also be used to accomplish the same processingends—the mold being discarded after the article is demolded. In anyevent, the molten lathering composition is added to the mold by gravityor pressure feeding (injection). The mold can be of such a shape andvolume so as to form either a single fibrous bar or it can be a tray,pan, or cylinder so as to form a loaf, log or billet that can be cutinto individual articles. Alternatively, the mold can include two ormore elements that are joined before the foamable composition isintroduced (e.g., by injection under pressure) and then separated afterthe composition has set to release the article. Such an “injection mold”can form either an individual fibrous bar or a log or loaf that can becut after demolding. The setting process can be accomplishedcontinuously, for example by chilling the mold, or the molds can bestored for a suitable period of time in a chamber at any temperaturebelow the melting or setting point of the composition and later thearticle can be demolded.

The FPN can be inserted into the multiple-use mold before or after themolten lathering composition and the mold can also include a recessedarea to accommodate part of the fibrous layer. Alternatively, the moldcan be partially filled and the foamable composition partially setbefore the fibrous layer is introduced.

Once set, the fibrous bar is demolded and further processed and packed.For example, the article can be further shaped (e.g., by cutting),wrapped in a film (e.g., shrink-wrapped), cartoned or any combination ofsuch steps.

In either of the manufacturing methods described above, the latheringcomposition can be partially cooled, for example by means of an in-lineheat exchanger before the composition is inserted into the mold andcombined with the FPN.

Evaluation Methodology

A. Percent Energy Loss Test Procedure:

Percent Energy Loss describes the resilience of a network to an appliedload. A 3.8 cm circular disk of the test FPN is placed between theplatens of an Instron Tensile/Compression Testing Machine (e.g. InstronModel No 4501 with load cell (226.98 N load Cell). The platen separationis 31.75 mm. The sample is then compressed at a compression cycle strainrate of 38 mm/min to a maximum load of 100 gm-force (0.98N) using a 5Nload cell. The platens are then separated at a recovery cycle strainrate of 38 mm/min.

Total Energy required to compress a sample to 100 grams load, and theRecovered Energy from one compression cycle is determined. The % EnergyLoss is then calculated as follows:${\%{EnergyLoss}} = {\left\lbrack \frac{J_{T} - J_{R}}{J_{T}} \right\rbrack*100}$

% Energy Loss is the resiliency of the FPN i.e. the ability to recovercompressive force

J_(T)=Total Energy Required to Compress material to 100 grams

J_(R)=Recovered Energy during one compression cycle

B. Yield Stress—Cheese Cutter Method for Semi-Solids

This method measures the yield stress of a composition and is usedherein to measure the maximum strength of an elastic semi-solid. Thismethod can also be used to measure the yield stress of the composition,i.e., the lathering composition that includes the fabricated polymernetwork.

A wire penetrating into the lathering composition with a constant forcewill come to rest when the force on the wire due to internal stressbalances the weight applied to the wire. The stress at the equilibriumpoint is described as yield stress (σ_(o)). The procedure is as follows.

A square of test sample (3.2 cm×3.2 cm×5 cm) is positioned on the yieldstress device. A 400-grams weight is then attached to the arm of thedevice. The arm is then lowered such that the wire comes into contactwith sample. The arm is then released allowing the wire to penetrate thetest sample for 1 minute. The length of wire in the sample is thenmeasured and recorded. The yield stress (σ_(o)) in kPa is determinedfrom the following equation: ${\sigma_{o} = \frac{0.375\quad{mg}}{1D}},$where,

m=mass of driving wire (mass placed on device plus 56 grams)

g=gravitational constant (9.8 m/s²

I=length of wire measured to penetrate the semi-solid after 1 minute(mm)

D=diameter of wire (e.g., 0.336 mm)

C. Instron Indentation Test—for Compliance of Elastic Semi-Solids

This method is used to measure the compliance (linear displacement perunit of stress at a give stress value (force per unit area)) of elasticlathering compositions. Softer compositions are those which have agreater compliance.

The compliance is computed from measurements of the depth of indentation(displacement) as a function of applied load of a rod into a “block”formed from the semi-solid elastic composition (or a composite that alsoincludes the FPN). The displacement as a function of load is measuredusing an Instron Model 4501 Universal Testing Instrument.

Two blocks (typically 3.2 cm×3.2 cm×5 cm) of each composition areprepared and equilibrated in an environmental chamber at 21° C. and 50%relative humidity prior to testing. A 2.54 cm diameter indenting platecoupled to the Instron is then pressed against each block at a rate of25 mm/min and recorded the forces at 50 data points per minute until acompression force of 65 grams is reached. The data is then transformedinto the displacement at 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 grams force applied load.Each block is compressed six times at different locations on the block.

The compliance at each applied stress in computed from:

Stress=Load (gm-force)÷Area of identing plate (cm²)

Compliance=Displacement of indenting plate (mm). Stress (gm/cm²)

D. Air Permeability Methodology

The Air Permeability is related to the amount of lather that can begenerated by a particular fabricated polymer network. The AirPermeability has been found to directly affect the density and amount oflather that a particular nonwoven material is capable of generating. TheAir Permeability values of the present invention were determined usingASTM Method—Designation D 737-96.

Testing Components:

-   1. Test head that provides a circular test area of 38.3 cm 2±0.3%;-   2. Clamping system to secure test specimens;-   3. A clamping ring that minimizes edge leakage;-   4. Air flow controller providing a minimum pressure drop of 125 Pa    (12.7 mm or 0.5 in. of water) across the specimen);-   5. Pressure gauge or manometer having an accuracy of ±2%;-   6. Flowmeter, volumetric counter or measuring aperture to measure    air velocity through the test area in cm 3/s/cm 2 (ft 3/min/ft 2 )    with an accuracy of ±2%;-   7. Calibration plate, or other means, with a known air permeability    at the prescribed test pressure differential to verify the    apparatus;-   8. Means of calculating and displaying the required results, e.g.,    scales, digital display, and computer-driven systems; and-   9. Cutting dies or templates, to cut substrate specimens having    dimensions at least equal to the area of the clamping surfaces of    the test apparatus.

The FPN samples are cut to the appropriate size (size of clampingsurface) using a cutting die. The samples are then preconditioned at astandard temperature and humidity, 21° C.±1° C. and 65±2% R.H. Once thesamples are preconditioned, they are allowed to reach moistureequilibrium in the standard atmosphere. The test samples are carefullyhandled to avoid altering the natural state of the samples. They arethen place in the test head of the test apparatus, and the test isperformed as specified in the manufacturer's operating instructions. Thetests are carried out using a water pressure differential of 125 Pa(12.7 mm or 0.5 in. of H₂O). The individual test sample results arerecorded in ft³/min/ft² ( or 0.304 m³/m²/min in metric units) Theseresults represent the Air Permeabilities of the samples.

E. Fiber to Fiber Bond Determination (for Non-Woven FPN)

A 4 mm×25 mm×25 mm section of nonwoven sample is prepared and placed onglass slide and secured with tape (sample slide). A reference glassslide is prepared by placing a 1 mm×1 mm mark on a glass surface.Photomicrographs of the reference slide are taken at a 10× magnificationand the length of mark on photo in mm is measured and recorded.Photograph (×5) of the sample slide are then taken under the microscopeat 10× magnification. This is repeated for three other samples with eachsample done in duplicate. The number of fiber to fiber bonds on eachphoto is then counted. Using a scale created from the reference slide,the actual area of each sample slide is determined. The number offiber-to-fiber bonds is divided by the actual area (mm²) and the resultsfinally averaged to provide the Number of Fiber-to-Fiber Bonds/mm³.

Each image can be expressed as a given volume V, using as a thicknessone fiber diameter. Assuming perfect fiber packing and no air voidsbetween fibers. Given a porosity (P), where porosity is the volumefraction of fiber to air in a given nonwoven sample, the number ofcontacts per cubic millimeter for a given nonwoven having porosity P canbe calculated as follows.

The Image Volume (V) is given by:Volume (V)=image area (mm²)*fiber diameter(mm)

The Number of Fiber to fiber bonds per mm³ (TC) is calculated from:TC=CP/Vwhere CP is the number of fiber to fiber bonds taken from sample image.J6967(C)

The actual number of fiber to fiber bonds (AC) is then determined fromthe following equation:AC=TC*(1−Porosity)F. Cylinder Inpaction Test for Hardness/Yield Stress of Solids

A variety of methods are known in the art to measure the hardness of“soft solids” used in, for example, toilet soaps. The most commontechniques are the Cylinder Impaction Test which measures the maximumforce before yielding and the Penetration Test which measures thepenetration of a needle under a constant load. Although the invention isdescribed by parameters that are measured by the Cylinder ImpactionTest, this was done for convenience from a manufacturing perspective.The various hardness tests can obviously be inter-correlated.

The Cylinder Impaction Test employs a modified Crush-Test protocol thatis used for measuring carton strength. A Regmed Crush Tester wasemployed.

Samples of the solid lathering composition (typically 8×5×2 cm) at thedesired temperature were placed on the lower plate of the tester fittedwith a pressure gauge and a temperature probe inserted in the sampleapproximately 4 cm from the test area. An 89 gm inox metalic cylinder(2.2 cm in diameter (0.784 in) and 3 cm in length (1.18 in)) was placedat a central location on the top of the sample. The upper plate is thenlowered to just touch the cylinder.

The top plate was then lowered at a programmed rate of 0.635±0.13 mm/s(0.025±0.005 in/sec). At a certain strain, the sample will yield, bendor fracture and the maximum force expressed as PSI (lbs/inch²) andaverage sample temperature are recorded. The water content of the sampleis measured immediately after the test by microwave analysis. Thehardness measurement is repeated a total of 3 times with fresh samplesand an average taken. It is important to control the temperature andwater content of the sample since hardness is sensitive to both thesevariables.

G. CIE L*a*b* Measurement using Macbeth Spectrometer

A Gretag MacBeth COLOR-EYE 7000 was employed to measure the color offabricated polymer networks, lathering compositions and fibrous bars.Following the instruction manual supplied with the COLOR-EYE 7000, theinstrument was calibrated using both a ZERO calibration standard (blacktile) and a WHITE calibration standard specific to machine. Thecalorimeter was then set to read in reflectance mode with an illuminantsource chosen as D65 and an observer angle of 10°.

Each sample was measured in triplicate using the following backgrounds.For transparent/translucent samples a white tile background wasemployed, while the black tile background was employed for opaquesamples and the Fabricated Polymer Network, e.g., for a non-woven batt.

H. Soak Test for Bar Discoloration and Residue

Individual plastic tray are filled with a layer of deionized water to adepth of about 0.65-0.7 mm. The trays are fitted with an air-tightcover. Samples of cleansing articles (fibrous bars or latheringcomposition) are placed in the middle of each tray and covered.Different samples are allowed to equilibrate for the following timeperiods: 1 hr, 3 hrs, 6 hrs, and 12 hrs.

Individual samples are then removed from trays and immediately evaluatedfor appearance—comparing the surface exposed to the water soak with thetop unexposed surface. The test samples are then placed on paper towelswet side up and allowed to dry in air at room temperature for differentperiods of time (1 hr. 6 hrs, and 12 hrs) and reassessed for visualappearance.

SPME Analysis of Fragrance Retention

Fragrance retention on skin was measured by Solid Phase Micro Extraction(SPME). A slurry of the test article is prepared by combining 0.5 g ofthe composition with 1 ml of deionized water in a sealed container andstirring the mixture at about 30 to 35° C. for 30 minutes.

The forearm of a test subject was prewet with water at a temperature of32° C. after which the entire sample of the slurry is applied with agloved hand and the slurry was worked into a lather by gentle rubbingfor 30 sec. The arm is then rinses for 15 minutes and patted dry withsoft absorbent paper.

A closed bulb shaped collection vessel (approximate dimensions 2 cm indiameter by 50 cm high) containing a Supelco SPME Fiber Assembly (30 umDVB/Carboxen/PDMS) is secured in contact with the forearm and perfume inthe head space was collected for 30 minutes. The procedure is repeatedbut after allowing the treated forearm to remain uncovered for 60minutes.

The SPME fibers were analyzed by gas chromatography using an AgilantTechnologies (formerly Hewlett Packard) Model 6890 with Mass SelectiveDetector Model 5973. A The column an Agilant Technologies number19091S-433, HP-5MS, 5% Phenyl Methyl Siloxane, 30 m×0.25 mm ID with a0.25 μm film thickness.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are shown as illustrations of the invention andare not intended in any way to limit its scope.

Example 1 and Comparatives 1-2

The lathering composition used in example 1 and comparatives 2 and 3 isshown in Table 1. The lathering composition in this case is atransparent solid that has a CIE Lightness value L*=25.1. TABLE 1Lathering Composition of Example 1 and Comparatives 1-2 COMPONENT (as100% active) Wt % Stearic acid/palmitic acid blend 14 Coconut fatty acid9 12 hydroxy stearic acid 3.5 lauric acid 3.06 sodium lauryl sulfate7.20 Sodium soap (85/15 tallow/cocco) Sodium hydroxide 2.34 Sorbitol14.5 Polyethylene Glycol (CARBOWAX 200) 5.0 Propylene glycol 10.2Isopropyl alcohol 1.23 Glycerin 0 HERC Jetine Black (from LCW South 1.5Plainfield NJ) Minors (e.g., perfume, preservatives, 0.5 etc) Water to100

Example 1 employs as the continuous fabricated polymer network a 100%polyethylene terephthalate non-woven, whose structure is designated SF-3(X-87), obtained from Structured Fibers Incorporated, Saltillo, Miss.This non-woven is composed of black polyester fibers (carbon black) andhas a CIE Lightness value of L*=12.5. Its other physical characteristicsare given in Table 2. TABLE 2 Characteristics of continuous non-wovenused in Example 1 Denier % 4 25 6 75 Fiber Type 100% PET Basis Weight(oz/sq. yd)* 5 Number of fiber to fiber bonds per cubic mm 2.19Note*Oz/sq. yd = 33.9 gm/m²

To prepare the fibrous bar of example 1, approximately 100-grams of thelathering composition of Table 1 was heated to 65° C. and poured ontothe non-woven pad (2 gm-dimensions:9 cm×6 cm×2 cm) contained in aplastic mold. The lathering composition was allowed to absorb andcompletely permeate the network. The resulting intimately blendedlathering composition and FPN was then cooled to about 15° C. atapproximately 50% RH until solidified fibrous bar was then removed fromthe mold.

Comparative 1 was prepared in the same manner as example 1 except thatthe mold did not contain any polymer network. Thus, approximately100-grams of the lathering composition of Table 1 was heated 65° C. andpoured into an empty plastic mold. The lathering composition was thencooled to about 15° C. at approximately 50% RH until solidified and thecleansing article (bar) was removed from the mold. Comparative 1 is thusa melt-cast soap bar.

Comparative 3 was prepared in the same manner as example 1 except thatin place of the continuous non-network a mass composed of approximately6 den black PET fibers approximately 3.8 cm in length was employed.

Approximately 100-grams of the lathering composition of Table 1 washeated 65° C. and poured into the plastic mold and allowed to completelypermeate the mass of discrete black fibers. The lathering compositionwas then cooled to about 15° C. at approximately 50% RH until solidifiedand the cleansing article (in the form of a bar) was then removed fromthe mold.

The overall compositions of the articles are summarized in Table 3,TABLE 3 Overall composition of article of Example 1 and comparatives 2-3Example 1 Comparative 1 Comparative 2 Type of included Continuous NoneNon-continuous polymer network network “network” of (non-woven) ofdisctrete bonded fibers, polyester fibers, achromatic achromatic (black)(black) L* = 12.4-12.8 L* = 12.4-12.8 Weight of lathering 100 NAcomposition per gm polymer network Vol % non-woven ˜100 NA 80 network(SF3)

Example 1 was judged to be darkest in color and the most opaque. Toachieve the same depth of color (if at all) in the comparative 2 or 3articles a higher level of colorant is required in the latheringcomposition.

The changes in appearance under conditions that simulate the potentialformation of mush that may occur under normal use of the article wasestimated using the Soak Test described in the EVALUATION METHODOLOGYsection. Briefly, each article was place in an individual rectangulartray that contained a 0.6-0.7 mm layer of deionized water at 25° C. Thetrays were covered to reduce evaporation. The articles were allowed tosit in the trays for varying periods: 1 hr, 3 hrs, 6 hrs, and 12 hrs andthen removed and the surfaces that had been in contact with the waterwere judged visually. Of the three articles, the water-exposed surfaceof example 1 was darkest in appearance (essentially remained black) ateach soak time and also was very close in appearance to the surface ofthe article that had not been in contact with water. The water-exposedsurface of comparatives 1 and 2 was opaque at short soak times butbecame white after soak time exceeding 3 hrs. It was found that thewater exposed surfaces of comparatives 1 and 2 remained white even afterbeing allowed to dry (wet-side up) for 6 hours

In a third set of simulated discoloration experiments, freshly preparedarticles were placed in dry rectangular trays and left exposed to theair (at room temperature for 7 days. Example 1 was judged to change theleast in appearance (essentially remained black) relative tocomparatives 1 or 2 (surface turned dull gray).

Thus, the inclusion of the substantially black continuous non-wovennetwork provides a darker colored cleansing article utilizing less dyein the lathering composition and provides more resistance todiscoloration when exposed to conditions that simulate exposure to wateror air.

Example 2-4

The lathering compositions used to make examples 2-4 are shown in Table4. TABLE 4 Lathering Composition of Example 2-4 Example 2 COMPONENT (as100% active) Wt % Example 3 Example 4 Stearic acid/palmitic acid blend14 Stearic Acid 11.36 11.36 Sodium Tallowate 6.34 6.34 Coconut fattyacid 9 Sodium Cocoate 11.35 11.35 12 hydroxy stearic acid 8.0 8.0 3.5Lauric acid 3.06 Sodium lauryl sulfate 6.0 6.0 7.20 Sodium LaurethSulfate 2EO (70%) 4.57 4.57 Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate 3.89 3.89Cocoamidopropyl Betaine 6.00 6.00 Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate 5.78578 Sodium hydroxide 3.94 3.94 2.34 Sorbitol 14.5 Polyethylene Glycol(CARBOWAX 5.0 200) Propylene glycol 2.47 2.47 10.2 Isopropyl alcohol1.23 Glycerin 4.0 4.0 Hydrogenated Cotton Seed Oil 3.95 3.95 Petrolatum1.00 1.00 Sunflower Seed Oil 6.00 6.00 Sodium Isethionate 11.98 11.98HERC Jetine Black (from LCW 1.5 2.5+% 1.5 South Plainfield NJ) Minors(e.g., perfume, preservatives, 1.1 1.1 1.2 etc) Water to 100 to 100 to100

The lathering composition used in examples 2-3 is an opaque solid, whilethe lathering composition used in example 4 is transparent. Thelathering compositions of examples 2-4 contained the same colorant,namely HERC Jetine Black. Examples 2 and 4 contained the same level ofthis colorant but a higher level was used in the example 3 composition.

Examples 24 employed as the FPN the same black continuous non-woven padas was used in example 1 (see Table 2).

To prepare example 2-4, approximately 100-grams of the respectivelathering compositions of Table 4 were heated 65° C. (75° C. for example2 and 3) and poured onto the non-woven pad (3 gm-dimensions: 9 cm×6 cm×2cm) contained in a plastic mold. The lathering composition was allowedto absorb and completely permeate the network. The resulting intimatelyblended lathering composition and FPN were then cooled to about 15° C.at approximately 50% RH until solidified and the solidified article (barshaped) was then removed from the mold. Both articles had the sameoverall composition as shown for example 1 in Table 3.

The CIE L values of reflected light measured for the three articleswere: Example 2: L* = 60.8 Example 3: L* = 481 Example 4: L* = 24.5

Examples 24 illustrate that although opaque and transparent latheringcompositions are suitable for forming darkly colored articles of theinvention in combination with the polymer network of the invention, thetransparent composition has a distinct advantage in requiring less dyeand providing articles having a darker color. In fact, with transparentlathering compositions, colorant is often not required if the FPN issufficiently dark and is composed of a sufficiently high density offibers similar to the SF-3 batt.

Example 5 and Comparative 4

The lathering composition that may be used in example 5 and comparative4 is shown in Table 5. This lathering composition is an elasticsemi-solid that is transparent, and has a CIE Lightness value ofL*=27.5. TABLE 5 Lathering Composition of Example 5 and Comparative 4COMPONENT (as 100% active) Wt % Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate 10.13 AmmoniumLaureth Sulfate 2EO 7.91 (70%) Cocamide MEA 1.73 PEG-5 Cocamide MEA 0.86Cocamidopropyl Betaine 10.0 Polyquaternium-10 0.5 Jaguar C13S 0.54Gelatin Bloom 275 12.00 HERC Jetine Black (from LCW 1.0 South PlainfieldNJ) Minors (e.g., color preservatives, 1.8 etc) Glycerin USP 11.0Polyethylene Glycol 6000 1.0 Water to 100

To prepare Example 5, approximately 100-grams of the latheringcomposition of Table 5 may be heated 65° C. and poured onto thenon-woven pad (3 gm-dimensions: 9 cm×6 cm×2 cm) contained in a plasticmold. The lathering composition would then be allowed to absorb andcompletely permeate the network. The resulting intimately blendedlathering composition and FPN would then be cooled to about 15° C. untilthe composition set and the elastic semi-solid article (bar shaped)removed from the mold.

Comparative 4 may be prepared in a similar fashion except that the moldwould not contain the non-woven polymer network and thus the comparativearticle is an elastic bar.

Example 5 is expected to be judged darker in color, more opaque and tohave a more striking appearance than the comparative 4 article.

Example 5 and comparative 4 may be evaluated for changes in appearanceunder conditions that simulate the potential formation of mush. The sameprocedure described above under example 1 would be employed. Example 5should be less affected by soaking, i.e., its exposed surface should bedarker and remain closer in appearance to the surface of the articlethat had not been in contact with water.

Examples 6-10

These examples illustrate different fibrous network.

The lathering composition of Example 1 (Table 1) may be used to preparecleansing articles that employ the fabricated polymer networksidentified in Table 6. These networks are composed of non-woven bondedfibers that differ in porosity and resiliency as defined by the methodsdescribed in the EVALUATION METHODOLOGY section. All the networks areachromatic (black) and have an L* value, less than 20. The individualcleansing articles may be prepared by pouring the molten latheringcomposition into a mold that contains the continuous non-woven networkand then solidifying the composition at about 15° C. as discussed inExample 1. The resulting cleansing articles, which should all have ashape similar to a conventional soap bar, are characterized in Table 6.TABLE 5 Non-woven fabrics used in cleansing articles of Examples 6-10Non-Woven (FPN) Resiliency % Material of Designation Supplier PorosityEnergy Loss Construction LP Den Legget & Platt 0.9835 39.8 PETSalisbury, NC CAR 3 Carlee Corp. 0.9970 41.85 PET Northvale, NJ KimberlyClark K-C Corp. 0.9943 42.12 PET Neenah, WI SF3 Structured Fibers 0.995115.79 PET Saltillo, MS CAR 2 Carlee Corp. 0.9970 39.82 PET Northvale, NJ

The cleansing articles so prepared are described in Table 6.Incorporation of all of the non-woven materials should result in darklycolored cleansing articles that resist discoloration in storage or use.

All the fibrous bars are expected to have good integrity and providelather during use. However, the amount of lather is expected to dependboth on the porosity and the resiliency of the fibrous layer. Moreresilient structures are expected to maintain adequate dimensionalstability over time and over larger number of uses compared to samplesthat have comparatively poorer resiliency. Specifically, the PercentEnergy Loss should be an important parameter as it describes theresilience of the substrate to an applied load. Lower energy losscorresponded to a more resilient fibrous substrate with better in-useproperties.

Although all the above example are expected to be robust and providelather, example 10 which displays the lowest % energy loss values andhence is the most resilient of the fibrous layers tested, should providethe highest lather. TABLE 6 Description of cleansing articles ofExamples 7-10 Exam- Example ple 6 Example 7 Example 8 Example 9 10Non-woven LPDEN CAR3 KC SF3 CAR2 fibrous layer Weight ratio 100 to 1 100to 1 100 to 1 100 to 1 100 to 1 of hydrous composition to Non-wovennetwork

Example 11

A cleansing article may be prepared using the lathering composition ofexample 1 and an FPN consisting of an achromatic open-cell, reticulatedpolyurethane foam having a CIE Lightness value of less than 15.2. Thefoam, has a porosity of approximately 3 pores per inch and a density of1.2 lb/ft³. The procedure would be as follows:

100 gm of the lathering composition is melted and poured into the PVCplastic mold containing a stack of several sheets of the achromaticpolyurethane foam (7. cm×20 cm). The mold is cooled to room temperature,stored overnight and the cleansing article removed. The process shouldproduce a darkly colored cleansing article.

Articles that incorporate this type FPN are expected to be found not toprovide as much lather as an article employing a continuous network ofbonded fibers such as is used in Ex 1 and 6-10.

Examples 12 and 13

The lathering compositions shown in Table 7 may be used to prepareexamples 12 and 13. This lathering composition is an elastic semi-solidthat is transparent and has a CIE Lightness value of L*=27.5 TABLE 7Lathering Composition of Example 12-13 Example 12 Example 13 COMPONENT(as 100% active) Wt % Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate 10.13 10.13 AmmoniumLaureth Sulfate 2EO 7.91 7.91 (70%) Cocamide MEA 1.73 1.73 PEG-5Cocamide MEA 0.86 Cocamidopropyl Betaine 10.0 10.0 Polyquaternium-10 0.50.1 Jaguar C13S 0.54 Gelatin Bloom 275 12.00 10.0 HERC Jetine Black(from LCW 1 1 South Plainfield NJ) Minors (e.g., color preservatives,1.8 1.8 etc) Glycerin USP 11.0 1.0 Polyethylene Glycol 6000 1.0 0.28Water to 100 to 100

The following procedure may be used to prepare Example 12 and 13:Approximately 100-grams of the respective lathering compositions ofTable 7 are heated 65° C. and are poured onto the black non-woven padsused in Example 1 (1 gm dimensions: 9 cm×9 cm×2 cm) contained in aplastic mold. The lathering composition is allowed to absorb andcompletely permeate the network. The resulting intimately blendedlathering composition and FPN is then cooled to about 15° C. until thecompositions set and the elastic semi-solid articles (bar shaped) arethen removed from the mold.

Both the articles of example 12 and 13 should be darkly colored.However, the example 12 article is expected to be more resistant todiscoloration during storage than example 13. It is generally found thattransparent lathering compositions that include a level of water solubleand non-volatile organic polyols of at least about 10% by weight havebetter color resistance in open air storage.

Example 14 and Comparative 5

The lathering compositions shown in Table 8A include a hydrophobicorganic benefit agent which is a combination of a Type 2 and Type 3perfume. The amount of sodium hydroxide employed in the Example 14composition is sufficient to neutralize about half of the fatty acidpresent so in this case the total surfactant concentration isapproximately 21.3%

The lathering composition of example 14 is transparent and containsalmost 60% of water and water soluble organic solvent while thecomposition of comparative 6 corresponds to a conventional opaque soapbar and contains the typical level of water ˜13%.

The finished cleansing articles anticipated are characterized in Table8B.

The example 14 and comparative 5 articles may be prepared by a melt-castprocess as described under Example 1.

Comparative 5 may be prepared by a conventional extrusion and stampingprocess. The perfume containing hydrophobic Type 2 and Type 3 perfumecomponents would be added immediately before extrusion via a ribbonmixer to minimize perfume loss. TABLE 8 Lathering Composition of Example14 and Comparatives 5 Example 14 COMPONENT (as 100% active) Wt %Comparative 5 A. LATHERING COMPOSITION Stearic acid/palmitic acid blend14 Coconut fatty acid 9 4 12 hydroxy stearic acid 3.5 Lauric acid 3.06Sodium lauryl sulfate 7.20 Sodium soap (85/15 tallow/cocco) 80.0 Sodiumhydroxide 2.34 WATER SOLUBLE ORGANIC SOLVENTS Sorbitol 14.5 PolyethyleneGlycol (CARBOWAX 200) 5.0 Propylene glycol 10.2 Isopropyl alcohol 1.23Glycerin 0.2 Perfume (includes Type 2 and Type 3 1.8 1.8 perfumeconstituents) Minors (e.g., preservatives, etc) 1.94 0.5 HERC JetineBlack (from LCW South 0.15 0.15 Plainfield NJ) Water 26.2 13.5 (Water +water soluble organic solvents) 57.1 13.5 B. FINISHED CLEANSING ARTICLEFPN (SF-3) same as used in Example 1 2.9 gm FPN per gm latheringcomposition

The perfume retention on forearms washed in a controlled manner with theExample 14 and Comparative 5 (ordinary soap bar) cleansing articles maybe measured by the SPME Analysis of Fragrance Retention method describedin the METHODOLOGY SECTION.

The amount of perfume that is retained on the forearm 30 minutes aftercontrolled washing with the exemplary article, example 14 is expected tobe over 2 times that retained on forearms washed with the ordinary soapbar (comparative 5). Furthermore, perfume should be still detectable onforearms washed with the exemplary fibrous bar even after 1 hour whileessentially no fragrance should be detectable by SPME in the case of theC2 washed forearms.

While this invention has been described with respect to particularembodiments thereof, it is apparent that numerous other forms andmodifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in theart. The appended claims and this invention generally should beconstrued to cover all such obvious forms and modifications which arewithin the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A darkly colored fibrous bar comprising: i) a continuous fabricatedpolymer network; and ii) a solid or semi-solid lathering composition atleast partially encompassing the continuous fabricated polymer network;wherein the continuous fabricated polymer network has a substantiallyblack color defined by having a CIE Lightness Value, L*, of less than50; and wherein the solid or semisolid lathering composition is eithertransparent or has a substantially black color defined by a CIELightness Value, L*, of less than about 60; and wherein the weight ratioof the lathering composition to the fabricated polymer network is in therange from about 30 to 1 to about 2000 to
 1. 2. The cleansing articleaccording to claim 1 wherein the fabricated polymer network is acontinuous network of bonded fibers.
 3. The cleansing article accordingto claim 1 wherein the fabricated polymer network has a porosity greaterthan about 0.95.
 4. The cleansing article according to claim 1 whereinthe fabricated polymer network is a web comprised of fibers selectedfrom polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide,cellulose, modified or regenerated cellulose, and blends thereof.
 5. Thecleansing article according to claim 1 wherein the fabricated polymernetwork comprises an open cell, reticulated polyurethane or modifiedpolyurethane foam.
 6. The cleansing article according to claim 1 whereinthe fabricated polymer network is a 3-dimensional batt of a pleatedwoven or non-woven textile.
 7. The cleansing article according to claim1 wherein the fabricated polymer network is distributed throughout atleast about 55% of the volume of the lathering composition;
 8. Thecleansing article according to claim 1 wherein the color of the solid orsemi-solid lathering composition has either a blue or green hue.
 9. Thecleansing article according to claim 1 wherein the fabricated polymernetwork and the solid or semi-solid lathering composition aresubstantially color-matched.
 10. The cleansing article according toclaim 1 wherein the solid or semi-solid composition comprises at least25% by weight of an anionic foaming surfactant selected from the groupconsisting of C₁₀ to C₁₈ alkyl carboxylates, C₁₀ to C₁₈ alkyl sulfates,C₁₀ to C₁₈ alkyl ethoxy sulfates, C₁₀ to C₁₈ acyl isethionates, andmixtures thereof.
 11. The cleansing article of claim 9 wherein the solidor semi-solid lathering composition further comprises: a) an organicbenefit agent having an octanol/water partition coefficient of at leastabout 500; b) water; c) optionally, a water soluble organic solvent. 12.The cleansing article of claim 10 wherein the amount of water plusoptional water soluble organic solvent is at least about 40% by weightof the lathering composition.